Issue - meetings

Report ED18085

The Schools’ Forum considered a report providing an outline of the final DSG allocation for 2019/20 and the budgeted expenditure across the four separate blocks.  The final Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) funding for 2019/20, updated to reflect October 2018 pupil numbers, had now been provided to all LAs. The final allocation included the additional funding for SEND announced by the Secretary of State which for Bromley was £788,032 for both 2018/19 and 2019/20. 

The DSG for 2019/20 was divided into four blocks – High Needs, Early Years, Schools and Schools Central, with expected grant income detailed below:

Central Schools Block

There were a number of pressures within the block due to certain items of expenditure over which the Local Authority had no control such as the costs of licenses (from which all schools benefitted).

It was proposed that a financial contribution would be made by the Council in order to balance the block.  On behalf of the Schools’ Forum, in anticipation of the Council’s Executive approving the additional funding, the Chairman thanked the Council for the very necessary financial contribution.

Early Years Block

It was noted that the Local Authority provided higher rates of funding for 2 year olds than the grant received from government.  This was done at the expense of 3 year old funding and this position had not been reviewed for a couple of years.  The Early Years Representative highlighted there was a higher staff ration for two year olds than for 3 & 4 year olds and it was suggested that this may explain the higher levels of funding.

Schools Block and High Needs Block

Falling Rolls Fund:

A Secondary Head Teacher representative noted that there had been no agreement or recommendation from the Schools’ Forum concerning whether specific funding for a falling rolls fund should be earmarked.  It was noted that the report demonstrated that there were 306 surplus places in the primary sector within Bromley that were being nominally funded.  Members of the Schools’ Forum suggested that this was symptomatic of the way in which Bromley had evolved over time with primary schools now feeling the impact of the lack of strategy.  There was now a pool of schools experiencing falling rolls and as a result these schools would be facing serious financial difficulties. 

It was noted that at a previous meeting the Schools’ Forum had requested information on trends and this had not yet been provided.  The Forum had also requested that the Head of Strategic Place Planning attend a meeting of the Forum to advise Members.  Members agreed that they could not commit to any long-term decisions until this happened.

The Head of Schools’ Finance Support highlighted the strict requirements and criteria in place surrounding eligibility for Falling Rolls Funding.  In summary, the following eligibility  ...  view the full minutes text for item 24